Dwell24 by Dwell Magazine

The Dwell 24: This Year’s Best Emerging Designers by Dwell Magazine

“Cactus-inspired lamps, a miniature library, and phallic-focused ceramics are just some of the creations of our annual lineup of the world’s most exciting rising talent.” - Dwell Magazine

“Aleksandra Zawistowska of Szlo Studio makes elegant glassware in unexpected shapes, like melting ice sculptures succumbing to heat.

Aleksandra Zawistowska, of Szkło Studio, was getting over a breakup when she found glasswork at Amsterdam’s Sandberg Instituut. She wanted to immerse herself in an all-consuming art practice, and she found "therapy" in a glass workshop "where everything can burn you." Her freehand creations are wickedly elegant. Bowls and stemmed glasses are reimagined as chunky, misshapen forms, like drooping ice sculptures surrendering to heat. One of her favorites, an 18-pound vase that she made in 2022, took four days to complete; she primarily used stones to create its globular shape. It comprises layers of transparent glass that are "not as oxidized," she says, giving the piece its crystal-clear finish with every little bubble and texture preserved within.” - Jinnie Lee

Photography: Szymon Adamczyk